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Pleasant surprise finding a raspberry pi while hacking a random device

Reddit:Electronics - Sun, 12/08/2024 - 09:11
Pleasant surprise finding a raspberry pi while hacking a random device

Still need to find the voltage this thing runs on, I think it's at least 30v

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Reddit:Electronics - Sat, 12/07/2024 - 18:00

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Navitas showcasing GaN and SiC technologies at CES 2025

Semiconductor today - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 17:31
In the ‘Planet Navitas’ suite (Tech West, Venetian suite 29-335) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) in Las Vegas (7–10 January), gallium nitride (GaN) power IC and silicon carbide (SiC) technology firm Navitas Semiconductor Corp of Torrance, CA, USA is showcasing several technology and system breakthroughs for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, electric vehicles (EVs) and mobile applications...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder  

EDN Network - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 17:08

Take a close look at this power audio amplifier that dates back to 1961 (Figure 1). This image is a still extracted from a YouTube video by a group called “The Spotnicks” playing their version of “Ghost Riders In The Sky”. (Try not to laugh too hard when you see them in their space suits.)

Figure 1: Image of an amplifier featured in a YouTube video with eight 6L6GB beam power tetrode tubes.

Sporting eight 6L6GB beam power tetrode tubes, this thing was clearly pushing the limits of the state-of-the-art at that time but notice the gorgeous appearance, the emphasis on gold coloration and the mirror-like reflection. This amplifier was meant as a work of art to be seen, particularly on stage, not just listened to.

After I looked on in dazed admiration for a while, I noticed something. One of the seven-pin-miniature tube shields on the left is not gold colored. Somewhere along the line I suspect, one of those tubes had to be replaced and its tube shield got lost somehow. A replacement shield was used instead, which left the amplifier with something of a beauty mark.

When you play that video, you’ll see that more than one of these amplifiers was in service during the performance.

Enjoy!

John Dunn is an electronics consultant, and a graduate of The Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (BSEE) and of New York University (MSEE).

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VisIC and AVL partner on GaN inverters for EVs

Semiconductor today - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 15:20
VisIC Technologies Ltd of Ness Ziona, Israel – a fabless supplier of power conversion devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) transistors – and mobility technology company AVL of Graz, Austria (which provides development, simulation and testing in the automotive industry and in other sectors such as rail, marine and energy) have partnered to advance high-efficiency GaN inverter technology for the electric vehicles (EV) market. The collaboration will provide automotive OEMs with power semiconductors that exceed silicon carbide (SiC) performance, while offering lower costs at device and system level...

Securing AI Models: Safeguarding the Future of Innovation

ELE Times - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 13:16

As artificial intelligence (AI) adoption accelerates, the urgency to protect AI ecosystems grows proportionally. In 2025, the world will witness a concentrated push to address critical concerns surrounding the security of Large Language Models (LLMs) and other advanced AI systems. These efforts will focus on safeguarding data confidentiality, ensuring integrity, and upholding privacy, which are essential to sustaining innovation and trust in AI technologies.

The Rise of AI and Its Risks

AI technologies, particularly LLMs, have revolutionized industries with their ability to process vast amounts of data, generate human-like text, and make intelligent predictions. However, their immense potential also introduces vulnerabilities. Cyber threats targeting AI systems are becoming more sophisticated, with adversaries exploiting weaknesses to steal intellectual property, manipulate outputs, or compromise sensitive data. For instance, adversarial attacks can subtly manipulate input data to mislead AI models, while data poisoning can corrupt training datasets, leading to flawed or biased predictions.

Additionally, as LLMs like ChatGPT or GPT-4 are deployed widely, the potential for misuse grows. These models, if not adequately safeguarded, could be manipulated to generate harmful content, leak proprietary information, or amplify misinformation. Thus, securing AI systems is no longer an afterthought; it is a fundamental requirement for ethical and reliable AI deployment.

Data Confidentiality and Privacy

Data confidentiality is at the heart of AI security. Training LLMs often requires enormous datasets, some of which may include sensitive or proprietary information. Ensuring that this data remains secure and private is a complex but crucial challenge. Robust encryption protocols, federated learning, and differential privacy techniques are emerging as key solutions. These methods enable AI systems to learn from data without exposing individual records, thereby reducing the risk of data breaches.

Federated learning, for example, allows models to train across decentralized devices without transferring data to a central repository. This approach not only enhances privacy but also minimizes attack vectors, as no single point of failure exists. Meanwhile, differential privacy adds statistical noise to datasets, protecting individual data points while preserving the overall utility of the model.

Ensuring Model Integrity

Model integrity is another critical focus area. Attackers may attempt to tamper with the parameters of an AI model to alter its behavior or introduce biases. To counteract this, organizations are turning to techniques like robust model architectures, regular audits, and tamper-evident mechanisms. Blockchain technology, for instance, is being explored to maintain immutable records of model versions, ensuring any unauthorized modifications are detectable.

Furthermore, explainable AI (XAI) is gaining traction as a means to enhance model transparency and trust. By making AI decision-making processes interpretable, XAI can help identify anomalies or unexpected behavior that might indicate tampering or misuse.

A Multi-Stakeholder Approach

Securing AI models requires collaboration across industries, governments, and academia. Policymakers must establish clear guidelines for AI governance and data protection, while researchers and developers work on advancing technical safeguards. Companies deploying AI systems must prioritize regular security assessments and adopt best practices for risk management.

Public awareness also plays a vital role in fostering responsible AI use. Educating users about potential threats and mitigation strategies can help minimize risks associated with AI adoption.

Conclusion

As we move into 2025, securing AI ecosystems will be a defining challenge for the tech industry. By addressing issues of confidentiality, integrity, and privacy, stakeholders can build robust AI systems that not only drive innovation but also inspire trust. The future of AI depends not only on its capabilities but also on the strength of the safeguards we put in place today.

The post Securing AI Models: Safeguarding the Future of Innovation appeared first on ELE Times.

Delta to Provide Made-in-India High-efficiency Rectifiers to ThunderPlus for its Fast Chargers for Low Voltage 2W and 3W EVs

ELE Times - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 08:13

Delta Electronics India has announced the signing of an MOU with ThunderPlus, a leading two-wheeler (2W) and three-wheeler (3W) electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider. Under the aforementioned agreement, Delta will provide advanced high-efficiency 4kW rectifier modules, made at its new large manufacturing site in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, to support ThunderPlus’ fast chargers for the low voltage market, specifically designed for 2W and 3W EVs.

Mr. Niranjan Nayak, Managing Director, Delta Electronics India, said, “Delta’s corporate mission is ‘To provide innovative, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow’. Hence, our collaboration with Thunder Plus underscores Delta’s goal to contribute to India’s EV transition by delivering cutting-edge, locally manufactured solutions. Our fast-growing R&D capabilities in Bengaluru and manufacturing in Krishnagiri have been instrumental to this milestone.”

Ms. Manjula Girish, Business Head – EV Charging Infrastructure, Delta Electronics India, “Our 4kW rectifiers are a testament to Delta’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. Engineered with high energy efficiency of up to 93% and manufactured at our state-of-the-art Krishnagiri facility, these rectifiers exemplify the synergy between cutting-edge technology and localized manufacturing. ThunderPlus’ decision to integrate our rectifiers into their EV chargers highlights the trust in Delta’s capability to deliver superior performance and value. This partnership is a significant step toward enabling robust and energy-efficient charging solutions for India’s growing EV ecosystem.”

Mr. Rajeev YSR, CEO – Thunder Plus, highlighted, “This collaboration with Delta Electronics brings world-class technology to India’s low-voltage EV charging market. Our customizable chargers cater to the unique requirements of OEMs and end-users, ensuring efficient and seamless integration with their operations. Together, we are building the foundation for a robust and sustainable EV charging infrastructure in India.”

This endeavor brings together Delta’s technological expertise in power solutions and ThunderPlus’ market leadership in EV charging systems. The chargers, developed with Delta’s advanced 4kW rectifier modules featuring energy efficiency up to 93%, are customizable and designed to meet India’s diverse requirements, making them a game-changer for the local EV market.

India’s EV sector is witnessing unprecedented growth, with the adoption of 2W and 3W EVs driving much of the demand.  This Make in India chargers are tailored to the low-voltage segment under this partnership we aim to reduce charging downtime, alleviate range anxiety, and boost the productivity of EV users.

Thunder Plus, a leading provider of EV charging solutions in India, has already on-boarded OEMs in the 2W and 3W segments. These chargers are equipped with advanced co-branding opportunities, reflecting the synergy between both organizations. The partnership ensures that the chargers are developed to meet global standards while being tailored to the Indian market.

The post Delta to Provide Made-in-India High-efficiency Rectifiers to ThunderPlus for its Fast Chargers for Low Voltage 2W and 3W EVs appeared first on ELE Times.

Quantum sensors used to move prosthetics

ELE Times - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 07:41

Digitizers by Spectrum Instrumentation used to detect extremely small and fast nerve signals

For controlling prosthetics, the body’s signals must be detected to move the artificial limb. At the moment, implanting electrodes is the most common technique but this is invasive and electrodes can deteriorate or move position. A completely different approach is now developed by the multidisciplinary consortium QHMI in Stuttgart, Germany, using quantum sensors to detect the incredibly small and fast nerve signals. The ultrasensitive quantum magnetometers will be carried outside the body measuring the neural signals through the skin. At this stage, the scientists are using Spectrum Instrumentation’s ultrafast digitizers (M5i.3357) and Arbitrary Waveform Generators (M4x.6631) to characterize the signals and to finally design the required Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).

Pic 2: A test PCB with custom integrated circuits and the quantum sensors

Prof. Dr. Jens Anders of the University of Stuttgart, who is in charge of the project ‘Cluster4Future QSens’ and a leading scientist of the QHMI consortium, explained, “This is one of the first real-world applications for quantum sensor probes as there is no other way to non-invasively detect such tiny magnetic changes that are in the order of 10 to 100 picoTeslas for muscles: that is six orders of magnitude smaller than the Earth’s magnetic field. Our tests show that our sensors are sensitive enough that they can detect neural signals to muscles through the skin. Even a small amount of remaining, say, lower arm muscle can in principle be used for this. We are working on even greater sensitivity for the femtoTesla magnetic changes we need to measure to detect signals within the brain without breaking the skin.”

At the heart of this technology is an optically detected, magnetic resonance (ODMR) device made of a tiny slice of diamond. The diamond is doped with so-called nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV centers), which have a net electron spin and, therefore, behave like tiny bar magnets. When green laser light is shone on them, they produce a red fluorescence signal. By applying a suitable microwave magnetic field, this fluorescence signal is very sensitive to external magnetic fields, which can be used to measure neural signals with utmost precision.

Pic 3: Checking the ASICs on the test PCB with a microscope

The microwave magnetic fields required to control the NV center spins are generated using suitable coils driven by a microwave transmitter. The baseband signals for this transmitter are generated using an Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG) to provide the required phase and amplitude modulation of the carrier signal that make the excitation signal more robust against experimental nonidealities. The resulting fluorescence signals, which carry the information of the neural magnetic fields, is then captured by a photodiode, amplified, filtered and digitized for advanced signal processing.

Spectrum’s cards were chosen by the team for several reasons. First, they have an extremely high dynamic range and good noise performance which is vital for such tiny signals. Second, they are very fast, so they can capture the fast signals associated with advanced pulsed excitation schemes, which can require bandwidth beyond 100 MHz. Third, they offered a great value in terms of performance / price. And lastly, the five-year warranty provides peace of mind that a critical component of the research is good for five years as it is almost impossible to obtain funding to replace a failed piece of equipment.

The digitizer flagship M5i.3357 with 10 GS/s sampling rate and 12 bit resolution and the bestseller AWG M4x.6631 with 1.25 GS/s output rate and 16 bit resolution.

The quantum sensor probes are currently matchbox-sized and, in the future, will be around one cubic centimeter and go to a control box that is roughly the size of a large matchbox that houses the processing electronics and the battery. The aim is to use microelectronic and photonic integration to shrink the control box further and extend the battery life to give a day of use before recharging. It is hoped that prosthetics will start becoming available in three to four years.

The post Quantum sensors used to move prosthetics appeared first on ELE Times.

Ampere and STMicroelectronics collaborate on powerbox with long term supply for silicon carbide

ELE Times - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 07:07
  • Multi-year agreement between STMicroelectronics and Renault Group secures Ampere’s supply of Silicon Carbide power modules
  • Collaboration on powerbox and cooling systems for the inverter to get the best efficiency for Ampere’s new generation electric motors
  • Agreement aligned with Ampere’s strategy of working upstream with its partners to design the best solutions for each one of its EV technologies

Ampere, the intelligent electric EV pure player born from Renault Group and STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has announced the next step in their strategic co-operation, starting in 2026, with a multi-year agreement between STMicroelectronics and Renault Group on the supply of Silicon Carbide (SiC) power modules, as part of their collaboration on a powerbox for the inverter for Ampere’s ultra-efficient electric powertrain.  Ampere and STMicroelectronics worked together on the optimization of the power module, the key element in the powerbox, to get the highest performance and best competitiveness in the e-powertrain, leveraging Ampere’s expertise in EV technology and STMicroelectronics’ expertise in advanced power electronics.

“This agreement is the result of the intensive work carried out with STMicroelectronics. By working upstream together, we were able to optimize and secure the supply of key components for our electric powertrains, to offer high-performance EVs with increased range and optimized charging time. It perfectly aligns with Ampere’s strategy to master the entire value chain of power electronics for its e-powertrain, leveraging STMicroelectronics’ expertise in power modules,” said Philippe Brunet, SVP Powertrain & EV engineering, Ampere.

“ST is at the cutting edge of the development of advanced power electronics enabling the mobility industry to improve the performance of electrified platforms. With the optimization of these higher-efficient products and solutions to meet Ampere’s performance requirements, and our vertically integrated silicon carbide supply chain, we are supporting Ampere’s strategy for its next generation of electric powertrain,” said Michael Anfang, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, Europe, Middle East and Africa Region, STMicroelectronics. “ST and Ampere share a common vision for more sustainable mobility and this agreement marks another step forward in improved power performance to further contribute to concrete improvements to carbon emissions reduction by the mobility industry and its supply chain.”

Power modules, composed of numerous silicon carbide chips, manage and convert electrical power from the battery to drive the electric motor. They play a crucial role in the efficiency of the electric powertrain and battery range, as well as energy regeneration features, making them a key element of the efficiency of an electric car. They also contribute to the smoothness and responsiveness of driving.

STMicroelectronics and Ampere have collaborated on a powerbox for the supply of energy to Ampere’s new generation of electric motors. The powerbox is designed for optimum performance-size ratio across Ampere’s line-up, on 400 Volt battery EV vehicles, and for Segment C-EVs with 800 Volt batteries, enabling greater autonomy and faster charging. 800 Volts is one of the key levers to achieve the 10%-80% quick charge in 15 minutes or less. This agreement is fully aligned with Ampere’s strategy to master the entire value chain of the electric vehicle, particularly by working further upstream with its partners and ensuring the best efficiency at each step.

As an integrated device manufacturer (IDM), STMicroelectronics ensures quality and security of supply to serve carmakers’ strategies for electrification. The collaboration with Ampere on the silicon carbide power modules and powerbox demonstrates STMicroelectronics’ leadership and system-level experience of advanced power electronics, including its packaging expertise.

Additional Technical Information
The powerbox combines three SiC-based power modules, an excitation module, which provides the necessary electrical excitation to the motor or generator for controlling the magnetic field within the motor, and a cooling baseplate designed to dissipate heat from the back side of the power module, simplifying the thermal management and cooling process.

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Wireless combo modules offer global connectivity

EDN Network - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 01:36

Silicon Labs’ SiWx917Y series of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE 5.4 modules provides plug-and-play simplicity with global RF certifications, helping to accelerate development. Intended for battery-powered IoT devices, these energy-efficient modules integrate an Arm Cortex-M4 application processor and antenna in a small 16×21×2.3-mm package.

The SiWG917Y variant enables customers to run all application code on the device’s Arm Cortex-M4 core. In contrast, the SiWN917Y allows customers to execute applications on a separate MCU, while the module manages Wi-Fi 6 and BLE 5.4 communication tasks. Intelligent power management supports connected sleep mode, consuming as little as 20 µA with Target Wake Time (TWT) and a 60-second keep-alive interval.

The wireless subsystem includes a 160-MHz network processor, baseband DSP, analog front-end, RF transceiver, and power amplifier. The application subsystem features a 180-MHz Cortex-M4 processor with a floating-point unit (FPU) for peripheral and application tasks. This dual-core architecture separates applications and wireless stacks to optimize performance and ensure timely processing.

Wireless modules in the SiWx917Y series are now generally available for purchase.

SiWx917Y product page

Silicon Labs 

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MPU controls multi-axis motors in real time

EDN Network - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 01:36

Renesas’s RZ/T2H microprocessor, its most advanced for industrial equipment, enables precise control of robot motors with up to nine axes. The device’s application processing and real-time performance make it well-suited for programmable logic controllers (PLCs), motion controllers, distributed control systems, and computerized numerical controls (CNCs). It also supports a variety of network communications, including industrial Ethernet with Time Sensitive Networking (TSN).

The RZ/T2H features four Arm Cortex-A55 CPUs (up to 1.2 GHz) for application tasks and two Cortex-R52 CPUs (up to 1 GHz) for real-time processing. Each R52 core is equipped with 576 KB of tightly coupled memory (TCM). The RZ/T2H also supports 32-bit-wide LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM for external memory, enabling high-performance tasks like Linux applications, robot trajectory generation, and PLC sequence processing.

To support multi-axis motor control, the RZ/T2H provides 3-phase PWM timers, delta-sigma interfaces for current measurement, and encoder interfaces. Peripheral functions for motor control are connected to the Low Latency Peripheral Port (LLPP) of the Cortex-R52 for fast access.

The RZ/T2H microprocessor is now available through authorized Renesas distributors.

RZ/T2H product page

Renesas Electronics 

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Tiny Hall element delivers InAs sensitivity

EDN Network - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 01:36

The HQ0A11, an indium arsenide (InAs) Hall element from AKM, is the smallest and thinnest in the company’s high-sensitivity HQ series. At just 0.8×0.4×0.23 mm, the HQ0A11 reduces volume by 85% compared to its predecessor, the HQ0811. It also delivers approximately 16% better signal-to-noise ratio, directly improved position detection accuracy and making its S/N performance the highest in the HQ lineup.

Hall elements are commonly used in position detection for image stabilization and autofocus in smartphone cameras. According to AKM, the HQ0A11 significantly reduces lens-shake effects, particularly with telephoto lenses. Its compact size also makes it well-suited for high-density component mounting in limited spaces.

The HQ0A11 achieves a sensitivity of 0.66 mV/mA/mT, with noise kept at 1.51 µVRMS/mA. It is expected to contribute to enhanced performance, not only in smartphone camera modules, but also in small motors for robots.

AKM has begun mass production and shipment of the HQ0A11 InAs Hall element.

HQ0A11 product page

Asahi Kasei Microdevices 

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Shunt monitors detect vehicle currents

EDN Network - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 01:36

ZXCT18xQ automotive current shunt monitors from Diodes measure small sense voltages across common-mode voltages up to 26 V. Operating from a 2.7-V to 5.5-V supply, these AEC-Q100 qualified instrumentation amplifiers are suited for vehicle lighting controls, high-side and low-side current sensing, battery management, fault current detection, and other vehicle body control systems.

The ZXCT180Q and ZXCT181Q support unidirectional and bidirectional current sensing, respectively. The ZXCT180Q features two pin assignment options, with its OUT pin placed in different configurations. Its REF pin is tied to GND. For bidirectional current sensing, as required in battery management systems, the ZXCT181Q introduces a voltage to the REF pin, offsetting the output voltage.

Both the ZXCT180Q and ZXCT181Q offer fixed gains of 20 V/V, 50 V/V, 100 V/V, and 200 V/V. They measure shunt voltages at common-mode voltages from -0.3 V to 26 V, independent of the supply, with a 370-µA maximum supply current. The devices support bandwidths up to 400 kHz at 20 V/V and slew rates of 2 V/µs.

The ZXCT180Q is priced at $0.11 each, while the ZXCT181Q is priced at $0.12 each, both in 1,000-piece quantities.

ZXCT180Q product page 

ZXCT181Q product page 

Diodes

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Portable 5G transmitter streams live video

EDN Network - Fri, 12/06/2024 - 01:36

DragonFly V 5G is Vislink’s bonded cellular miniature transmitter with 5G connectivity and HD video streaming capabilities. The device supports public and private 5G networks, delivering live broadcast-quality video from point-of-view cameras, drones, UAVs, and body-worn devices.

Leveraging High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) compression, the DragonFly V 5G streams high-definition, high dynamic range video in formats up to 1080p at 50/60 Hz. Its cellular bonding technology combines multiple 5G network connections into a single, aggregated data stream for enhanced reliability and speed.

Weighing just 82 grams, the transmitter accommodates HDMI or SDI camera inputs, depending on the variant. Additionally, the DragonFly V 5G includes support for Wi-Fi in the 2.4-GHz ISM band and RS-232 remote control.

The DragonFly V 5G is now available, joining the previously announced DragonFly V COFDM model.

DragonFly V 5G product page 

Vislink Technologies 

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Soitec and GlobalFoundries collaborate on RF-SOI production

Semiconductor today - Thu, 12/05/2024 - 18:44
Engineered substrate manufacturer Soitec of Bernin, near Grenoble, France has committed to deliver 300mm radio frequency silicon-on-insulator (RF-SOI) substrates to New York-headquartered GlobalFoundries (GF, which has manufacturing plants in the USA, Europe and Singapore) for the production of GF’s RF-SOI technology platforms, including its most advanced RF solution 9SW...

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